Pastured, Free- Range, Organic, Farm-Raised... What's the difference??
Let's talk Eggs
Pastured, organic, free-range, cage-free, farm-raised.... the list goes on…
it's all so confusing!
We are all looking for what is best for our family.
But which is the best for you and your family??
Let me give you a few tips.
Our egg farmer's daughter, Annika "chatting" with one of their hens.
Tip #1: Be sure to know your farmer!!
Ask your farmer how the eggs are produced.
Every farmer/marketer has his own "words" in selling his product.
That said, I'll try to give you some more clues...
Usually farm-raised, free-range, organic, cage-free, etc.. simply indicate that the chickens aren't caged.
None of them may ever see the light of day.
The essential vitamins A & D will not be in eggs unless the chickens are on pasture in the sunlight eating green grass.
And normally,
Pastured eggs, are produced from pasture-raised chickens, who are free to forage for their natural diet, which includes seeds, green plants, insects, bugs, & worms, and their supplemental feed doesn't contain GMO's or soy.
Tip #2: Check the color of the egg yolks.
Compared to the generic supermarket variety, eggs from pastured poultry are a vivid yellow-orange; proof of a diet rich in green plants, seeds, & insects, exactly the way God intended chickens to eat.
The deeper & darker orange colored yolk, the higher the levels of fat-soluble vitamins you will have.
Expect to find the richest orange colors in the spring when grass is fresh and bugs are plentiful.
Variations in the yolk colors will be seen due to the breed, age of chickens, their diet, & the season.
Some Benefits of Pastured Eggs
Pastured eggs are a highly valued superfood!
According to the Weston Price Foundation pastured eggs have a long list of benefits!
Including but not limited to this list:
provides all 8 essential protein building amino acids
loaded with fat-soluble antioxidant nutrients
supports healthy vision
protects skin from sun damage
reduces one's risk of colon & breast cancer
A little story on how protein loaded pastured eggs are...
Recently we were at a family wedding in another state and we stopped at a motel on the way home.
The next morning we went to eat at the motel's breakfast bar & several of us got the 2-egg omelet they served.
I went back for more… & ate 2 more of those omelets!!
It didn’t occur to mr until later that day how much I had eaten!
They looked ok but didn't satisfy our hunger.
At home I'll eat 2 eggs & be filled till lunch!
I had always heard pastured eggs were higher in protein, & now I had experienced it first hand!
Where do I get pastured eggs?
Here at Borntrager Dairy we sell pastured eggs.
We have a local farmer who raises them & brings the eggs to sell at our farm store.
He has his "chicken tractor" out in the pasture.
He runs his milk cows over the pasture, & then he brings the chickens behind them.
He also grinds his own supplemental feed so no GMO's or soy are added.
Regardless if you buy your pastured eggs at our farm store or someone else, please be sure to find out how they are raised!
Enjoy your eggs!!
Arlene Borntrager